The role of extraversion in the Great Resignation: A burnout-quitting process during the pandemic

Abstract

The Great Resignation is a global economic trend that began during the COVID-19 pandemic in which quitting rates increased to unusually high levels. Although this phenomenon has been attributed to burnout, scarce research exists to explain the role of individual differences in the increased quitting rate. To address this gap, we investigate the progression from burnout to voluntary turnover during the pandemic in US in two studies. Study 1 uses data from full-time employees (n = 360) in a multiphasic data collection spanning February 2021 to February 2022 (during the Great Resignation). The results demonstrate that people higher in extraversion report less burnout. This, in turn, leads to fewer voluntary turnover behaviors. Study 2 uses data from an additional sample (n = 137) of employees collected during the pandemic (June 2020). These results indicate that extraversion may buffer the effect of role overload encountered in the pandemic context. Because other pandemics and social withdrawal phenomenon (e.g., quiet quitting) are sure to emerge, it is necessary to continue studying employee characteristics and outcomes in these situations.